Flagstaff



- w. M. POST FLAGS TAFF Filed Sept. 25, 1924 in:- t \EMMW:

Mum/v R907" Sept. 22, 1925.

Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM M. POST, OF HOOD RIVER, OREGON.

FLAGSTAFF.

Application filed September 25, 1924. Serial No. 739,868.

varying heights.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the halyards of flag staffs from fouling or becoming entangled with the flag staff as the wind varies and swings the flag to different positions with respect to the staff.

A further object of the invention is the provision of rotatable means mounting adjacent the upper end of the flag staff and adapted to support the flag and secondary rotating means arranged near the lower end of the staff and adapted to swing simultaneously with the upper rotating member, the halyards being secured at their free ends adjacent the lowerrotating member to rotate therewith.

A further object of the invention is to ]n'o-vide a device of the above mentioned character provided with means for semirigidly connecting the upper and lower rotating means whereby they are caused to positively rotate simultaneously, means icing provided for permitting limited flexing of the connecting means when the flag staff bends due to the pressure of the wind.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one em bodiment of the invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flag staff embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional view through the upper end of the flag staff and associated elements,

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Figure 1, and,

Figure A is a central vertical sectional view through the lower rotating member and associated elements.

Referring to the drawings the numeral designates a flag staff of the usual construction provided with an ornamental cap member 11 at its upper end.

A bearing melnber 12 is secured adjacent the upper end of the flag staff by screws or the like 13. The member 12 surrounds the flag staff as shown and is provided wit-h an annular flange 14 provided with upper and lower hall races 15. The numeral 16 designates a rotatable member as a whole comprising a hub portion 1'? and an indicating vane 18. The hub 17 is provided with a screw-threaded cap 19 and the inner faces of the hub 17 and cap 19 are provided with ball races 20 adapted to receive ball bear ings 21 whereby the rotatable member 16 is ada iited to freely revolve about the axis of the fin g staff. The member 16 is provided to one side with a suitable block 22 for purpose to be described.

The flag staff is provided adjacent its lower end with a bearing member 23 secured to the flag staff by screws 24 or the like and provided wit-h a ball race 25 as shown in Figure 3. A rotatable member 26 surrounds the bearing member 23 and is provided with a ball race 27. Ball bearings 28 are arranged within the races 25 and 27 as shown whereby the rotatable member 26 is adapted to rotate freely about the axis of the staff. A cap 29 may be provided as shown in Figure 4; to prevent water and the like from coming in Contact with the bearing members.

()ne sideof the rotatable member 26 is provided with. an ear 30 pivotally connected therewith by a pin 31 whereby the member 30 is adapted to swing in a vertical plane. A rod 82 is arranged to project through a vertical opening 33 in the member 30 as shown in Figure 4; and nuts 34: are threaded on the rod to secure it to the car 30. The upper end of the rod 32 passes through an aperture 35 arranged in the vane 18 as shown in Fig. 2 and nuts 36 are employed for securing the rod to the vane.

The member 26 is provided opposite the ear 30 and a vane 37 having a blade 38 as shown in Figure 4. The vane 37 is pivotally connected as at 39 with the rotatable member 26 to swing in a vertical plane. A rod 6L0 passes through an aperture ail in the vane 37 and is provided with nuts 42 whereby it may be fixed against movement with respect to the vane 37. The upper end of the rod 4:0 passes through the aperture 43 in the vane 18 as shown in Figure 2 and is provided with nuts 4:4: to secure it in proper position.

' atively stiff.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3 a collar 45 surrounds the flag staff intermediate its ends and is provided with a lateral extension as to which the rod 40 may be welded or otherwise secured as shown at l7. The opposite side of the collar i5 is provided with a fork 48 between the arms of which the rod 32 passes.

As shown in Figure 1 a flag i9 connected to the usual halyards is adapted to be hoisted in position on the flag staff. The halyard is adapted to pass through the block 22 as will be obvious and the lower ends of the halyards may be tied or otherwise secured to the vane 37 as will be obvious.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The flag 49 is hoisted in position in the usual manner and is arranged toward the same side of the flag staff as the blades of the vanes 18 and 37. As the wind shifts, it will be obvious that the rotatable members Li and 26 will move simultaneously by virtue of the action of the vanes and because of the fact that they are secured together by the rods 32 and L0 which are preferably rel It will be obvious that the flag may freely shift its position according to the direction from which the wind is blowing and the halyards will also rotate so that they will not become fouled with the flag staff. The collar L5 is preferably employed in connection with relatively long flag staffs but may be omitted when the device is used in connection with shorter staffs. If the device were employed in connection with tall sta'lfs without the collar 45 the rod v4O would, under extreme conditions of wind pressure, bind against the staff due to the bending of the latter. The extension a6 prevents inward movement of the rod i0 while the collar 15 permits free rotation without bindin The members 30 and 37 are pivotally connected to the lower rotatable member 26 to permit them to move upwardly or downwardly slightly when the staff 10 flexes due to wind pressure and slightly changes the distances between the upper and lower ends of the rods.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a rotatable member surrounding a flag staff adjacent its upper end, a block carried by said rotatable member to receive the halyards of a flag, a second rotatable member surrounding the flag staff adjacent its lower end, a member pivotally connected with said lower rotatable member to swing in a vertical plane, and a rod connected at its upper end to said upper rotatable member and at its lower end to said pivotally connected member.

2. A device of the character described comprising a rotatable member surrounding a flag staff adjacent its upper end, a block carried by said rotatable member to one side of the staff to receive the halyards of a flag, a second rotatable member surrounding the flag staff adjacent its lower end, a pair of diametrically opposite rods connected between said rotatable members substantially parallel to the flag staff, one of said rods being arranged toward the same side of the stalf as said block, and a collar loosely surrounding the flag staff intermediate said rotatable members, said collar being provided with an extension secured to said last named rod and being further provided with a second extension having a slot receiving the other of said rods.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM M. POST. 

